Sirius' Jewel
by madpoet08
Summary: UPDATED! What happens when Julia Starr meets the playboy of Hogwarts...and falls for him even though she wants nothing to do with him? (I suck at summaries! please R&R) SBOC
1. Default Chapter

Sirius' Jewel

Chapter 1

_And where the hell is platform 9 3/4? _I thought to myself, looking around King's Cross. I saw platforms nine and ten, but nothing except a barrier between them. I sighed and leaned against the barrier and…fell right through it. I fell down on the other side, trunk and all. I looked up and saw a sign that said: _Platform 9 3/4_. _Well, I found the platform_, I thought as I stood up and dusted myself off. I walked towards the scarlet train that bore the name- _The Hogwarts Express_. It was now or never.

_**Two months earlier**_

"I just don't understand why you're not happy, Jules. You're the top witch off your class! What more do you want?" Mr. Atari, the principal, asked me. I was sitting in his office right on time as usual. Every Tuesday at about eleven-thirty I was in Mr. Atari's office for doing something or another.

"I want to be accepted by everyone in this stupid hell hole!" I exclaimed. "Mr. Atari, every Tuesday I come in here at eleven-thirty and every Tuesday you asked me the same damn question, " I continued, kicking my feet up on his desk, "and every Tuesday I give you the same answer. You should know by know why I'm not happy."

"People would be a lot more accepting of you if you made yourself more approachable. But you spend your time pulling pranks and starting fights. I know that you've been having a rough couple of years, but that's really no excuse, Ms. Starr. And you know it." Mr. Atari replied, sternly. "But seeing as I can't get through to you, I'm going to try something else." He added and I looked at him. "I sending you on a sort of exchange program. Next year you're going to go to Hogwarts and if you like it there better than you finish out you schooling there."

"Are you freakin' serious?" I asked, slowly, and he nodded. "Oh my god! Thank you sir, I've always wanted to go there!"

"I know and I happen to be old friends the headmaster there, so I pulled a few strings. I just don't want to see a talented witch like throw away her future." He said, smiling at how this made me happy.

Oh, I won't sir! And thank you again for this opportunity!" I said, shaking Mr. Atari's hand and leaving his office.

That had been the last of the school year at Polk Academy. That was the last time I would ever have to go there and endure all the crap that people gave me constantly. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm a cold heartless bitch or anything. I just didn't get along with anyone at school. Partly because none of them understood what I was going through and partly because I didn't want to let anyone in after what had happened. But going to Hogwarts was like a dream come true!

I spent the first half of summer at a "_girls and boys home_" in LA. I don't know why they just don't call them orphanages- I guess they think it sounds offending. Anyways, I passed each day with the thought that I was one day closer to being free and that made me roll out of bed in the morning and go through the routine I'd become accustomed to.

And then half way through July I flew over to England, where I would be staying at a place called the Leaky Cauldron until it was time to go to school. I had directions on how to get there and directions to King's Cross too.

When I arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, I was greeted by a tall witch with long dark hair. She introduced herself as Catalina, the owner. She showed to my room and said that if I needed anything to just ask. She seemed very nice. As I settled in my room I still couldn't believe that this was happening to me. I flopped on to the bed and fell asleep thinking about Hogwarts, hoping it would be better than Polk…


	2. Wands and secrets

_**Sirius' Jewel**_

_**Chapter 2**_

I spent the remaining half of my summer exploring Diagon Alley. It was really fascinating and I had a lot of fun in Flourish and Blotts. I explored muggle London, as well. I had always wanted to come here and I wasn't going to waste any time not that I was. About a week before I was suppose to leave for Hogwarts I realized that I hadn't gotten any of my things. So that day I went to Gringotts and got some money and bought everything I would need for the school year: books, robes, potion's ingredients, and a wand.

I walked into Olivander's wand shop and sat down on the rickety chair. I was sitting for about thirty seconds when I heard s a soft voice speak from with in the shop.

"Ms. Starr, I didn't think I would see the day when you would come to buy a wand." The speaker turned out to an old man.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound like I didn't know what he was talking about.

"You know what I mean. You don't need a wand to perform your magic." He replied, calmly. I just stared at him.

"How did you know that?" I asked, in a low voice.

"I know things like these when it comes to wands and magic. You shouldn't even bother buying one, but if it will make you feel better then be my guest." He said, smiling at me. Shivers went up my spine. I mean, nobody knew that I didn't need a wand to do magic except the people at Polk. That was part of the reason I didn't really fit in there.

"Well, since I'm here already, I might as well buy a wand." I said, more to myself than to Mr. Olivander. He nodded and pulled out a long thin box, from which he produced a wand.

"Made of Holly, eight inches, and contains the hair of a rather feisty unicorn." He said, handing the wand to me. Nothing happened. Nothing happened with the next nine or ten wands I tried either.

"Well, let's try this one," Mr. Olivander said, handing me another wand. "Beach wood, eight and a quarter inches, and contains the tail feather of phoenix." He added. As I took the wand, I had this sudden feeling that this was the one and green and gold sparks came out of the tip.

"I think I'll be taking this one." I said, smiling and paying Mr. Olivander. I left the wand shop, feeling like nothing could wrong. I was going to make Hogwarts work, because there nobody knew about my past. There I could be who ever I wanted to.


	3. Snivellus makes a move

**A/N:** okay, sorry about the short chapters, but this one is longer...i'll try and update as much as possible, so just bear with me. thanks to everyone who's reading this and please review and tell me what you think!

**DISCLAIMER:** **I forgot to put this on the first two chapters, but I think everyone knows that I don't own anything excpet what you don't recognize. Everything else belongs to the brilliant min of JK Rowling! ;)**

_**Chapter 3**_

I found an empty compartment on the train and I sat down next to the window. I saw families scattered all over the platform; mothers and fathers hugging their children good-bye. I turned away and forced myself not to cry. My parents were gone and there was no changing that, so I might as well move on with my life. Besides, it's not like we were ever that close anyways. But I guess I still missed them.

"Oh, hey d'you mind if we join you? It's just that everywhere else is full…" I jumped about a mile when I heard the voice speaking to me. I looked up and saw a friendly looking boy with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes standing there, a pale face and he looked very tired.

"No, not at all." I replied, as soon as my breathing became normal again. "I'm Julia Starr, by the way." I added, as he and three other boys came into the compartment.

"I'm Remus Lupin," The sandy haired boy said.

"I'm James Potter," A boy with very messy black hair, hazel eyes and glasses said. "And that's Peter Pettigrew." He added, pointing to a small pudgy boy with watery eyes and a pointed nose.

"And I'm Sirius Black." The last boy said. He had black hair that fell into his gorgeous blue-gray eyes. He sat down next to me. All of them, except Peter, were very good-looking.

"So, you must be new this year, right?" Remus asked, as he, James, and Peter sat down across from Sirius and me.

"Yeah, I'm transferring from Polk Academy." I replied. "That's in San Diego, California." I added, when they looked confused.

"Oh, you're American. Cool!" James said. "Is it true that over there you can get away with anything?"

"Well, yeah as long as you don't get caught." I said, wondering what kind of question that was.

"Well, I don't know what your last school was like, but Hogwarts will definitely be different." Sirius said.

"Oh, well, I already know that. I've always wanted to come here." I said, with a nod. "Besides anywhere is better than where I was." I added, more to myself then to the boys.

"Why?" James asked, curiously.

"Oh, just because the people there were jerks. And things happened there I would rather forget about." I said, quietly, not looking at them.

The boys just shrugged at one another and within half an hour, they were telling me about all the pranks they had pulled in the last four years. I have to say, if they were telling the truth, then they are quite impressive. Before I knew it was time to change into my school robes.

"Hey, where's the bathroom?" I asked, grabbing my bag. Remus pointed me down to the other end of the compartment. I changed and was on way back when I bumped into someone.

"Sorry, excuse me." I said, taking a step back and looking at who I hit. It was a boy about my age. He had really greasy hair, dark eyes, and a hook nose.

"Oh, it's no problem, really." He said, looking me up and down. Gross. "But if really wanted to apologize I think I find a couple of ways you could make it up to me." He continued, walking towards me. Gag me please, was he trying to seduce me? But he kept coming at me and I kept backing up until I hit the wall of the train. Dead end.

"Well, this is an interesting situation, isn't it?" He taunted, putting his hands on my hips.

"Get you fucking hands off me, you grease ball." I yelled, trying to push him away.

"Now, now, no need to be feisty." He said, moving his hands around my hips and grabbing ass. He was just about to kiss me when I felt him being pulled off.

"That's no way to treat a lady, _Snivellus_." I looked up and saw Sirius standing there, with the other three guys behind him.

"Yeah, Snape, why don't you go and learn some more dark arts?" James said, as he and Sirius pulled out their wands.

"You'll pay for this, Black." He spat maliciously at Sirius. "And you," He added turning to me as he stood up, "you and I will meet again. Make no mistake of that!" He turned on his heel and stalked off to another part of the train.

"Thanks." I said, as I took a step towards the four of them.

"Ah, no problem." Sirius said.

"Miss Starr?" I heard my name being called as I walked through the great front doors of the castle. I turned and saw a no-nonsense lady walking towards me.

"Yeah, that's me." I said, waving my hand.

"You are to come with me, Miss Starr. You'll need to be sorted before you can sit down with everyone else." She said, stating to walk towards a room just off the entrance hall. I followed her. "I am Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher."

We reached the small room and in the middle of it there was a stool on which sat a very raggedy looking wizard's hat. McGonagall motion for me to put on, so I did. And then I heard a voice in my ear. The hat was talking!

_"Ah, I see we have a Starr on our hands here. Your father was a very great wizard I do believe. A little evil, but great. He was in Slytherin, but that won't suit you, not at all. You have a great mind and a thirst for knowledge, no doubt there. But you also have a courageous soul. So, I guess you'll have to be placed in GRYFFINDOR!"_

The hat shouted the last word and I took it off.

"Well, you may as well know that I am the head of Gryffindor house, too." She said, as I placed the hat back on the stool. "I do not tolerate any unacceptable behavior. Understood?" She added and I nodded.

I walked back into the entrance hall and from there into the Great Hall, where everyone was sitting. McGonagall pointed out the Gryffindor table and I sat down between Remus and a pretty girl with auburn red hair and amazing emerald eyes. As soon as I sat down, a bunch of scared young looking witches and wizards came walking in. A couple of them looked as though they'd had a fight with a lake- and the lake had won. They walked up to the front and stood in front of the staff table. McGonagall came back in carrying the stool and the hat that he had just made me put on. And then, after the hat had sung a song, (which I found really bizarre) she called out each of their names and they were sorted into a house. Then the headmaster, Dumbledoor, stood up and gave a speech. I wasn't really paying attention, I was too busy telling my stomach to be quiet- it was growling so loud that not only were Remus and the aburn-haired girl looking at me, but half the table was too. Finally, Dumbledoor finished and the food appeared on the plates. I grabbed everything I could reach.

"Wow, you must really be hungry." The girl sitting next me to said. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" I said, after I swallowed a huge mouthful of roast beef.

"I'm Lily Evans." She said, smiling.

"Julia Starr, but you can call me Jules. I just moved here from LA." I replied, smiling back. She seemed nice.

"What brings you to England?" She asked, curiously.

"Well, I wasn't really happy at my other school, Polk Academy, and so the principal transferred me here." I replied, with shrug. "Not that I minded, though, I've always wanted to come to Hogwarts."

"Really? Why weren't you happy at your other school?" She asked, with a slight frown. I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell everything. This is one of my flaws- being too completely trustworthy.

"Well, I was kinda a misfit there mainly because I'm not exactly normal." I replied, wording my response very carefully.

"What do you mean you're not exactly normal? Are you nutters or something?" She asked, looking slightly alarmed. Wrong to word things, I guess.

"No, nothing like that. Although I can be a little out there sometimes." I said, shaking my head. "I mean, like, I can do magic without a wand. That sort of weirdness." So much for keeping things secret.

"Oh, is that all? Well, that's not really abnormal, that's just unique." She said, laughing. She stopped when she saw the look on my face. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to, I promise." She said quickly.

"Thanks." I said, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"You know, most people won't care about things like that anyways." She said. "I certainly don't. I care more about what a person's like than how they look or how popular they are." She added. I decided that it would be okay if I told one or two more things about myself. After all, she just might be the first real friend I have since, well, ever.

"Well, then, since you're so open minded, I guess I can tell you the other reasons why I didn't really get along with anyone in LA." I said, and she looked at with excitement and curiosity written all over her face.

"You're even more abnormal than you let on?" She joked. I just smiled and nodded my head.

"Well, first off there's the face that I'm not a rich, pompous snob who can buy anything with snapped of my fingers. Then there's also the fact that I like to play pranks on people. That was part of the reason I got transferred, I think. They didn't want me causing trouble anymore. I used be in the principal's office every Tuesday at eleven-thirty." I said, and she laughed.

"Every Tuesday at eleven-thirty?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like clockwork." I replied. "And then a major factor in the whole loser outcast image was because I'm metamorphagus." I added.

"Are you really?" She asked, her eyes lighting up. I nodded. "That's so cool. Do ever change your appearance just for the fun of it?"

"Well, usually only if I'm playing a prank and I don't want to get caught. However, I somehow usually always did." I replied, laughing along with Lily. "Some of the pranks I played were priceless and it helped a lot to be a morphy." I added, using a shortened version of metamorphagus that I favored.

"Like what?" She asked, smiling.

"Well, sometimes if somebody really pissed me off, I would make myself look like their girlfriend or crush and publicly humiliate them." I said and she looked shocked. "I didn't do it all the time and I didn't do it to just anyone. That was something I saved for the people I especially hated."

"Well, I guess it would be pretty funny, especially if that person truly deserved it." She said, laughing.

And just like that Lily and I became instant friends. I told her about LA and America and she told me about Hogwarts and s group called the Marauders. Apparently, this group was made of four mischievous trouble-making boys who were legend at Hogwarts. They pulled the best pranks and almost everyone wanted to be their friends. Lily said that I could probably give them a run for their money.

"Well, who are these Marauders?" I asked her.

"They're sitting right next to you, Jules." She replied. "James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Oh, those are the famous Marauders?" I said, with a laugh. "I met them on the train. They didn't seem too bad."

"Well, I don't much like them, with exception of Remus. James and Sirius think that just because they have good looks and the best marks in school, they can go around and hex people because they don't like them. Not too mention that they're cocky and arrogant. Peter just kind of tags along with them. But Remus is okay. He's a prefect and has some common sense. He's actually very kind and friendly to just about everyone except the Slytherins. None of them get along with the Slytherins, to tell you the truth. Especially Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. " She said, giving the Marauder's, mainly James and Sirius, a look of loathing.

"Snape…that name sounds familiar." I said, frowning in concentration. Yes, hadn't that been the name James said to the guy on the train. "I've met Snape, unfortunately."

"You have?" Lily asked, surprised. "When?"

"On the train. He basically sexually harassed me." I replied, with a shudder. "Those guys saved me from him. I kinda got the vibe that they didn't get along too well with him."

"That's the understatement of the century!" Lily exclaimed. "James and Sirius never miss a chance to jinx him or hex him. I mean, it's not like Snape doesn't retaliate, but James and Sirius take it too far sometimes."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. There's guys like that everywhere." I agreed, looking at the four Marauders. I couldn't help but noticed that Sirius seemed to be very popular, just as Lily had said, but he seemed especially sought after by all the girls. For most of them kept sneaking glances at him as he laughed and joked with his friends.

"Hey Lily, is Sirius a ladies man?" I asked, turning back to her.

"How'd you guess?" She replied, sarcastically. "I guess you could say he's Hogwarts' biggest playboy."

"Really? Does he change girlfriends the way some people change hair colors?" I asked and she giggled.

"Something like that." She said, with a smile.

The first few weeks went by pretty fast. I felt like I was at home for the first time in years. Lily and I became best friends and we were inseparable. I didn't cause too much trouble at first, mainly because I had no reason to. I used to pull crap at Polk because there was nothing else to do. And it was fun to see the all the preppy girls scream. But at Hogwarts, I felt no need to entertain myself in such ways. I had friends to replace it.


	4. Qudditch and Transfiguration partners

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except what you don't recognize!**

**A/N:** hey, another chapter! thanks to my two reviewers, ViceVersa2006 and TotoroSpirit!I really appriciate it!

**Chapter 4:**

September melted away into October and before I knew it Halloween was here. There was to be a feast and entertainment by the ghosts and everyone got to dress up as something. You know, like when you go trick-or-treating. One of the popular costumes was a muggle. Another one was cross-dressing boys. It was a sight to see.

Qudditch season had started too. And as it was, the Gryffindor team needed another couple of chasers and would be holding tryouts. Not to brag or anything, but if there was one thing that I was good at, it was Qudditch. I'd been playing ever since I could ride a broom and I've always loved it. So, naturally I went down to the try-outs they were holding.

"Alright, I run a tight team and that means six hour practices sometimes. If anyone has a problem with that, then they should leave now." Derek Hoppler, the Gryffindor captain, said. "Now, we need two chasers and a beater. So, when I call your name from which ever list you signed up on, you will run some plays with the team."

I looked at the other three players behind him. There was James, Sirius and some third year I didn't know. Great, I can't even get away from them at Qudditch; just my luck. Oh, well, hopefully they were at least somewhat talented when it came to this game.

As it turned out, James and Sirius were very good players. James obviously was a born chaser and Sirius had the strength and anger to be an excellent beater. The third year, who happened to be the seeker, wasn't that bad either. I was called up, along with a fourth year boy who looked like he was pretty good and some girl who was drooling over Sirius. I figured the girl was only trying for beater because of Sirius. I mean, god, could she be any more obvious?

"Okay, you guys need to each touch the Quaffle three times before scoring," Derek said, addressing James, the fourth year, and me. "And you and Sirius need to keep them from scoring at best as possible." He added, looking at the girl.

He gave the countdown and we all set off. The three of us chasers worked really well together. Better than any of the others anyways. Sirius did some nice bludger work, but the girl couldn't hit a bludger if her life depended on it. James passed to the boy, who passed to me and I passed back to James, who passed back to me and I passed it to the boy, who gave to James, who gave it back, and then I had it and I flew right at the goal posts before scoring. Success!

"Alright nice work, really great. I think we've found our chasers." Derek said, as we landed. "But I'm sorry, you not going to cut it for beater." He added to the girl who didn't look very disappointed. She looked happy that she had been able to come within three feet of Sirius. Girls make me gag sometimes. Honestly.

"Alright class, listen up." Professor McGonagall said. "I am going to assign a project that will be due the week after Christmas break. You and your partner will have to look up and define the ways to transfigure different objects. You will then have to practice these methods and present to the class your research. And I shall be assigning partners." She explained, with a pointed look at James and Sirius. "The pairs are as follows: Lupin and Bostwitch, Potter and Evans, Pettigrew and Packard, Bick and Leomon, and Black and Starr."

I groaned. Being partners with Sirius would kill me! It was true that he was smart, but he got distracted very easily. Like if there was a girl in a three-mile radius, for example. Besides, he would just want to mess around and we wouldn't get any work done. Why oh why was I so cursed to have to be the one stuck with him? Why me?

"Alright, so we're partners." He said, walking over to me when the bell rang.

"Very good, Captain obvious." I replied, sarcastically. He gave me a dirty look. "We should get started now, 'cause Qudditch won't leave us much time to get this done." I added.

"Okay, how 'bout we meet in the library after dinner?" Sirius said, as we made our way to our next class.

"Sounds good to me." I replied, but I got the feeling that he wasn't listening to me. He was walking to down the hall, high-fiving his jock friends and flirting with all the girls.

"What did you say?" He asked, only glancing at me. That _really _pissed me off.

"Never mind." I snapped. "Just meet me in the library at seven so we get this over with."

"What's your problem?" He asked, looking surprised at my response.

"You are Sirius." I retorted, and I picked up my pace so I could get away from him. Honestly, he could be so infuriating!

"Hey Jules, what's shakin'?" Lily asked as I sat down next to her in charms. I giggled at her. I had said that very expression to her a few days ago and, after explaining what it meant, she adopted it as her way of greeting people.

"Same old stuff." I said, pulling out my charms book. "How 'bout you?"

"Well, other than the fact that McGonagall was cruel enough to make James Potter my partner, nothing much." She said, shrugging. "But I swear if he asks me out again, I'll curse him into oblivion!"

"Oh, you won't Lily." I said, laughing. "But at least your partner focuses his attention on you. Would it Kill Sirius Black to give attention to anyone but himself?"

"Probably. Both him and Potter wouldn't know what to do if the whole school stopped paying attention to them." She said, with a nod. "Oh, look, their highnesses have decided to grace us with their presence."

The Marauders all walked into the classroom. Remus, James, and Sirius were talking excitedly about something in low voices. Peter, as usual, trailed behind them like a lackey. I caught a bit of what they were saying as they walked by. "…Yeah, so tonight is gonna be great!" "Full moons always are, Prongs." "Maybe for you guys…" What was so special about the full moon?

I walked into the library five minutes late. I hadn't seen Sirius at dinner, so I'd assumed he'd already be there and would chew me out for being late. But he wasn't. So I sat down and started working while I waited. After two hours of long and tedious research, I figured he wasn't showing.

"Hey, d'you guys know where Sirius is?" I asked James and Remus when I got back to the Common room.

"Since when do you care?" James asked, not looking up from his game of chess with Remus.

"Since my Transfiguration grade- and his- depend on it. He was suppose to meet in the library two hours ago, but he never showed up." I replied.

"That's not like Sirius." Remus said, frowning and looking up at me.

"Hey, guys, who's winning?" Came an all too familiar voice from behind me. I turned and saw Sirius.

"Where were you?" I asked. "You were suppose to meet in the library at seven!"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that I'd already set up a tutoring session with someone." He replied, easily. "It totally slipped my mind."

"Alright then." I said, studying his face.

**ohhhhhh, is he telling the truth? Only I know, hehe**


	5. Ditching and Secrets

**Sirius' Jewel**

**Chapter 5:**

So, after I was sure that Sirius was most likely telling the truth I left it that. I really had no reason not to believe him, anyways. I mean, why would he lie to me? But there was still that feeling there that I was being too trusting. And whenever I got that feeling things never went good. I usually ignored it, but I should've known better by now.

It wouldn't have bothered me as much if Sirius had only failed to show up once or twice. But he _never_ showed up whenever we planned to meet, not once. And I always confronted him about it afterwards when I found him. He gave me a different excuse every time. He was always able to shrug me off and I didn't like that.

"Okay, look," He said, as I opened my mouth to say something. It was a Thursday night and he hadn't showed up again. Surprise, surprise. "This weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. We'll meet at three o'clock in the Three Broomsticks."

"Fine, but you better show up!" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Hey don't worry, babe, I won't let you down." He said, winking at me. His cockiness faded a little when my eyes flashed at him dangerously.

"Do not call me 'babe', you self-absorbed pig." I said in low voice, almost a hiss. "And don't try to hit on me again, Black, it just may be the last thing you do."

"Is that a threat?" He asked, trying to sound like his cocky, arrogant self. But I could detect some fear in his voice.

"Mr. Black," I said, putting my hands on his shoulders. He looked somewhat surprised at this. "You can bet your life that's a threat." I turned on my heel and went up to the dorm. I flopped on my bed and moaned.

"What's the matter with you?" Lily asked, looking over at me form her bed.

"I am going to kill Sirius Black one of these days!" I said, covering my face with my hands. "He is driving me up the wall!"

"Yeah, I came up here to hide from James." She said, sighing. "I think he's going to propose any day now."

"Yeah, well, at least he's helping you with your project. Black has not showed up once for our study sessions." I replied, looking at her. He looked back me with this weird expression on her face. "What?"

"What's with your eyes?" She asked, looking more closely at them. "They look bright red."

"Oh, that." I said, with a wave of my hand. "I'm a changer."

"What's that?" She asked, curiously.

"Well, it's sorta like a metamorphagus, only it's your eye color that changes." I explained. "And no, not all morphies are changers and not all changers are morphies."

"That's cool. Can you change them at will." She asked, her own eyes lighting up.

"Sure. What color do you want me to change them to?" I replied, with a smile.

"Um, how 'bout sky blue." She said and laughed when I did it.

"The only downside is that they let on whatever emotion it is I'm feeling." I said. "That is if you know which colors correspond with which emotions." I added, with a sly smile.

"Well, are you going to tell me?" She asked, coming over and sitting on my bed. I shook my head.

"I'm going to make you guess." I said, laughing. She gave me dirty looked, but laughed too.

"Alright then, let's get started." She said, brightly. I turned my eyes to fiery red. "Um, that's got to be anger." I nodded and changed them to bright blue. "Um…er…sadness?" I nodded again and changed them icy gray. "That looks like coldness or dislike." I changed them to bright yellow. "Well, um, happiness?" I shook my head and I gave her a deer-in-the-headlights- look. "Oh, fear!" I changed them to bright pink. "That's embarrassment." I changed them to bright purple. "There's only one thing that can be- mischief!." I changed them to bright green. "And that's gotta be happiness!"

"Well, now you know how to tell what I'm feeling," I said, smiling at her. "Unless, I control it of course. Which I do most of the time. But there are times when my emotions are in the extremes that it's just totally and one hundred percent uncontrollable."

"Really? People usually just read the emotions that are displayed clearly on my face." Lily said, and we both laughed. It felt good to be able to tell someone the secrets I had.

Saturday I walked into the Three Broomsticks at two forty-five. I slid into a booth after getting some Butterbeer. Damn, that stuff is good. I pulled out my Transfiguration stuff and attempted to do some of it. But I was ready for Sirius to take some the workload so I pulled out the book I was currently reading- _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_- and picked up where I'd left off.

When three o'clock came and went and Sirius hadn't shown up, I wasn't at all shocked. I waited until three thirty before packing up my stuff and getting ready to leave. I had given up an entire afternoon of fun with Lily so that I could be stood up by him. I hoped, for his sake, that something life threatening was the reason he hadn't showed up. I was just about to stand up when something caught my attention in the next booth.

"Sirius you are such an incredible kisser!" I heard a high pitched voice say, breathlessly. I looked over the booth just as he answered.

"I try." He replied, kissing her lightly. Ew, did he really just say that? "I should be going, though, I have to meet my partner."

"Don't leave!" The girl, who was some ditzy blonde Ravenclaw, said pouting. (A/N: no offense to all the blondes out there!) "Make up some excuse like you have been. She's been buying it so far hasn't she?"

"Yeah, he has. She doesn't know that I've been ditching her to spend time with you." He said, laughing. "I have her eating out the palm of my hand. It's just that she's so trusting, it's so easy to get her to believe anything."

"How pathetic." The girl said, laughing too. I turned away, having heard enough and left. I was so furious that I was more than sure that my eyes were glowing a dangerous bright red. Sirius was a dead man when I got my hands on him.

I walked back to Hogwarts, but instead of going inside the castle I went down to the lake. I needed to vent my anger and I did so by making whirlpools in the water for a while. I felt myself calm down some more. Then I went up to the common room, where I found Lily.

"Hey Lils, what's goin' on?" I asked smiling at her.

"Jules, where have you been?" She exclaimed, jumping up from her chair.

"Down by the lake, venting." I replied, taken aback. "Why?"

"Well, I saw Sirius come out of the Three Broomsticks with his flavor of the week and I over heard them talking about how he's going to keep on ditching you. And how he's going to make you do all the work." She said, quickly.

"WHAT?" I yelled felling the anger I'd just vented returning. "He's a dead man!"

Before Lily could say anything, the portrait hole opened and in came the Marauders laughing at something. As soon as I saw Sirius, I snapped. Completely and totally snapped. Controlling my temper is not always one of my strong points.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" I screamed, hurtling myself at him. He didn't see me coming, so I was able to tackle him to the ground and straddle him so he couldn't get up. I didn't even bother with magic, I just started hitting as hard as I could. I succeeded in giving him a black eye, a fat lip, and a bloody nose, but because he was so strong I wasn't able to hurt as much as I wanted to.

"What the hell is your problem?" He asked, managing to roll me over so that he was straddling me now. He pinned my arms to the ground so that I couldn't him and I couldn't move my legs. Blood was pouring from his nose and onto my clothes.

"Get off me you bastard!" I yelled at him, trying to get out his grip. But he was too strong for me.

"I asked you what your fucking problem is." He said, not paying attention to what I said.

"Now, I have a problem?" I spat at him, still struggling.

"I would say that trying to kill me would be a problem." He replied, as though I were crazy.

"I don't appreciate being ditched and left with all the work to do while you go off and have fun!" I said, angrily.

"What?" He said, looking surprised.

"I'm so trusting that I'll believe anything you say. I'm eating out of the palm of your hand." I said, mockingly. "Isn't that what you said, Sirius?"

"You heard me?" He asked, his clear blue-gray eyes widening.

"Yes, I heard you! I was getting ready to leave the Three Broomsticks and I heard your ditzy bimbo of a girlfriend talking." I said, looking him in the eye. He held my gaze for a few seconds, before looking away.

"Look, I'll let you up if you promise not to kill me." He said, looking back at me. I glared at him for minute before nodding. He stood up and then offered me his hand, which surprised me a little. He helped me to my feet and then took a couple of steps backwards as though he thought I would start beating him up again.

"I'm sorry you got stuck as my partner, and I can't say that I was exactly thrilled that you were mine." I was no longer shouting, but the anger was still evident in my voice. "But that doesn't mean you can just ditch me and dump all the work on me, so that you can go make out with whatever girl you're with that week. 'Cause you're grade depends on this project too."

"You couldn't just say that?" He asked after a moment. "You had to beat me up?"

"Sirius! The world doesn't revolve around you!" I exclaimed, my voice beginning to rise. "You need to realize that!"

"And you need to realize that I don't care!" He said. "You need to stop being such a bitch!" He added, anger in his voice.

"Well, at least I'm not a worthless waste of talent!" I said, loudly. I knew as soon as I said it I'd gone too far. Sirius stiffened and, if looks could kill, I'd be dead. He didn't yell at me though. Perhaps it would've been better if he had.

"I was wrong about you." He said, in a deadly, quiet voice. "You're not just a bitch. You're a naïve little girl who trusts everyone. Maybe if you weren't so trusting, things like this wouldn't happen to you. But you're so caught up in your own little world of joy and happiness that you can't even fathom the world's cruelty."

_Naïve little girl that trusts everyone_… he didn't know what had happened. I couldn't get mad at him for saying that- it was a fair assessment. But I felt my eyes change from the angry glowing red to a dead, lifeless gray. Sirius saw this, looking shocked and looking as though he regretted what he'd said.

"You know what Sirius? Let's just forget that I ever brought this up. I'll finish the project and you can give half the girls in Hogwarts hickeys. That's what you wanted from the beginning anyways, so this should make you happy." I said, tonelessly. And without waiting for his reply, I turned and walked out of the Common room. I needed to think; I needed a place where nobody could bother me. I went up to the Astronomy tower.

Everything that had happened within the past ten years came flooding back to me. I had come here to get away from all of this. Why did it always follow me wherever I went? The fact that I was an orphan was bad enough, but no it didn't stop there. My parents never wanted a child and so they never really loved me. When I was six, they just died and that was when all the trouble began. I had no one to protect me. I was alone. And then I was taken to an orphanage where I was shuffled around from home to home. I was moved across the country constantly, which was why it was hard for me to make friends Every time I would think this it, I can trust these people and every time something went wrong. When I moved to LA to start at Polk, I didn't even bother going with families. I just stayed at the orphanage. I knew that nobody would ever care about me, but I stupid enough to believe that somebody might. And then the summer before last I learned something that I was suppose to never know. I was a chosen one and as such I had my destiny planned out for me. I think that was the real reason I got transferred here, but the fact that I could start over was enough to push from my mind then. Now, I was feeling the emptiness and loneliness that I'd always felt. I guess there really was no escape from it. But I refused to cry about it. No, I would be strong like I always was. Besides, I hadn't cried since I was six, so I wasn't about to start now.


	6. Mysterious gifts at Christmas

**DISLCIAMER: alright, these get old after a while...I own nothing except what you don't recognize, but you all knew that already:)**

**A/N:** hey, you guys will find out more about the chosen one thing later, I'm still working on it:) I'm sorry that I'm making Sirius such a prick and everyhting, but he'll get better, I promise! Besides, we all love Sirius even though he kinda a jerk! I hope you guys like this chapter and thnx everyone who's been reviewing! I love you guys!

**Chapter 6:**

The next two months went by without much excitement. I spent most of my time doing the transfiguration project and I refused to let anyone, especially Sirius, help me. If he wanted to go and screw around then who was I to stop him? But he could leave me and my pride out of it. He was the biggest prick I'd ever met and what got to me the most, he didn't seem to care!

"Hey, can I talk to you about Sirius?" Remus asked me one evening as he sat down by me in the library. He and I were actually becoming pretty good friends, considering he was a Marauder.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked, not looking up from my book.

"No," He replied, with a hint of a smile on his lips. I sighed and looked up at him.

"Okay, talk." I said.

"Sirius isn't a bad person, it's just that he isn't used to any girl not being practically in love with him. I know that's no excuse for the way he acted, but you kinda overreacted too." He said, cautiously.

"Look, I lost my temper, but I had every right to. He'd been ditching me to get into his current girlfriend's pants! I'm sorry, but I wasn't going to take that without saying anything." I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "Besides, he doesn't know me, he doesn't want to know me, and he probably never will know me."

"You don't know him either, Jules. He has no idea why you haven't fallen for him yet and it threw him off. Sirius is like a brother to me, he's been there for me through some hard times. He's one the most loyal people I've ever met, even if he is somewhat arrogant and cocky." Remus replied, evenly.

"Remus, I've never understood how you got mixed up in a group with guys like James and Sirius. You seem like you'd be the model student, never doing anything wrong." I said, shaking my head. Remus laughed.

"Well, James and Sirius were the first two people I happened to talk to when I first arrived here. You're right, out of the three of us, I'm definitely the shyest. And there was a time when I thought that I'd be friendless forever, but then I came here and I couldn't anything to get rid James and Sirius. Now, I wouldn't want to." He replied. "Just at least think about easing up on him. He is really sorry for what he did."

I didn't say anything partly because I didn't really believe Remus and partly because I didn't know what to say. Remus gave me a tight squeeze on the shoulder and left. I turned back to my project. I just couldn't imagine Sirius being loyal to anyone, he seemed to care only about himself. But, then, Remus was right- I hardly knew him. I sighed, put all my things away, and went out by the lake. It was cold, but I didn't really care. I walked around the lake just thinking about everything that had happened to me. Even with friends and a new home, I was alone in the world. No one could ever possibly understand what I'd gone through and what I was going to have to go through.

Christmas came quickly and most everyone I knew was going home for the holidays. Lily was leaving tomorrow, as well as James, Peter, and Remus. Sirius, however, was staying. Yippee. We'd been avoiding each other since October, when I'd beaten him up. This was hard to do though, seeing as we had most every class together and we had Qudditch every night, too. So, I wasn't exactly thrilled to find out that it was going to be Sirius, two second years, and me for the holidays. That was two weeks of having no one to talk to. The second years wouldn't spend time in the common room (I knew that they were never there) and I wasn't about to make chit chat with Sirius. That would just be weird.

"Okay, so you're sure you'll be okay?" Lily asked, as we said goodbye in the entrance hall the first day of vacation.

"Chill, Lils, I'm gonna be fine." I replied, sounding more confident than I sounded. "These two weeks will fly bye, you'll see."

As soon as the carriages departed, I took my time going back up to the common room. I could read a book in one of the good chairs by the fire. If only I could get some hot chocolate, too.

I had been reading for about five minutes when Sirius came in. I didn't look up and I figured he'd gone up stairs to his dormitory.

"Hey." He said, sitting down next to me. "I come bearing gifts so please don't kill me." He added, quickly. He handed me a cup of cocoa. It was like he'd read my mind.

"Thanks." I replied, taking a sip. "So why are you staying over vacation?"

"My parents are on holiday in South France and they didn't want my brother and me to come. It would just be too complicated." He said, shrugging.

"You have a brother?" I asked, surprised. "I always imagined you as the only child type."

"I wish." He said, bitterly. "He's a second year in Slytherin. My parents are always comparing me to him. No matter what I do, it's never good enough."

"That sucks."

"Yeah." He said, nodding. "Why are you staying? Don't your parents want to see you? I mean it must be hard to so far away from home."

"I'm staying because I have no where to go." I replied, looking at the fire.

"No where to go?" He asked, confused. I sighed.

"My parents are dead. They died when I was six." I explained, looking back at him.

"Oh, sorry." He said quickly, looking down at the ground.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." I said, waving my hand. "Besides, they didn't really love me anyways."

"Really? How come?" He asked, looking back up.

"'Cause, they didn't want any kids. And I was the worst thing that could happen to them." I replied, nonchalantly.

"Why?" He asked, curiously.

"Well, let's just say I was a burden that they didn't want, but one they couldn't shed either." I said. "I wish they were still alive though."

"They didn't love you and you wish that they were sill here?" Sirius asked, incredulously. I gave him a small smile.

"At least then I'd have some protection of some sort." I said, and he looked confused. "Look, Sirius, I don't really want to get into that part of my life. I came here to get away from it. So let's just say that I'm under special circumstances and those circumstances have made life pretty shity lately."

"You don't seem like the type of person that would have any problems in the world." He said, more to himself than to me. "I mean, you always seem to have it together."

"I guess I'm doing pretty good job of creating a new life for myself then." I said, shrugging. "Look, can we just drop it?"

"Sure."

I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. I mean, I'd never told anyone about my parents, even Lily. And the fact was, it felt good to talk to Sirius. He seemed to have a past of his own. Maybe Remus was right, maybe Sirius wasn't as bad as he said. And it was nice to have someone to talk to.

I woke up early on Christmas to find a few presents at the end of my bed. There was one from Lily, one from Remus, and one that didn't say who it was from. I opened the one from Lily- it was a pair of blood red dress robes that fitted me perfectly. Remus had given me a book on all sorts of charms since he knew that was my favorite subject. But the most interesting gift was the anonymous one. Actually it was four things wrapped together. The first three things were journals- one had my father's big even handwriting in it, one had my mother's small neat handwriting in it, and the other was blank except for a message: _This is your private journal. You can write thoughts, feelings, random things in it and no one will be able to read it unless they know how._ That was kinda strange, yet kinda cool. This could be the way to let out my emotions before I took them out on somebody again. In my father's journal I found a note which said: _These were you're parents' journals. They would have wanted you have them, despite what they may have said. You will find the answers to the many questions I'm sure you have in these books. Keep them close and don't let them fall into the wrong hands._ Answers to my questions…this was really starting to freak me out. This person obviously knew quite a bit about me and that unnerving. I unwrapped the last thing and found it to be a ring. But it wasn't just any ring it was…an all-purpose ring! At least that's what I call them. You wear them and they look like regular rings, but if you ever need anything useful to, say, unlock a lock door that would open even with magic, this ring will do it. Anything you need it will provide. These things are really valuable and rare.

I went down to the common room and found Sirius standing in the shadows of the stairs. He was watching something with great amusement. I went over to him.

"What's so funny?" I asked, in a low voice. He turned and looked at me, still laughing.

"James taught me this really great prank. You choose someone and you charm them by saying buzzy and their name and as soon as they sit down you wave your wand and they get a nasty shock. It's really quite funny." He said, looking back at the table and waving his wand. The poor second year that had sat down immediately jumped backup. I laughed along with Sirius.

"Oh my god, that's hilarious!" I said, as the second year looked around confused. He couldn't figure out why this was happening to him. Sirius kept this up for a few more minutes and then ended the prank.

"You hungry?" He asked, as we walked towards the portrait hole.

"Starving." I replied, as he stepped back to let me through. "Did you get any good gifts for Christmas?"

"Oh, yeah. James gave me an everlasting quill, since I seem to keep losing them. Remus gave me a book on the greatest pranks ever played. Peter got me a poster of my favorite Qudditch team. My parents gave me a book on the dark arts. Let's just they're kinda obsessed with them. James' parents gave me a couple of new sweaters and my cousin, Tonks, gave me a bunch of candy from Honeydukes." He replied and I felt a pang of jealousy. I quickly brushed it away. "What about you"

"I got some dress robes from Lily and a book on charms from Remus." I said, as we walked along the halls. "And some anonymous person gave some things of my parents'"

"That's it? You don't have any other family or friends." He asked, looking surprised. I didn't get mad; it was after all a fair question even if it was a little rude.

"Well, actually, no I don't." I replied. "But that's okay, I got more gifts today than I can ever remember getting. Just the fact that someone actually cared enough to get me something means the world to me."

"Oh, I see."

We sat down in the Great Hall at the one table. There were fifteen of us altogether, a sad turn out. But we had fun, none the less. I even forgot about all of my problems for a while. I was feeling truly accepted for the first time in my life and I loved that feeling. I even forgot that I hated Sirius and we actually had a conversation where we didn't argue or try to kill each other. It was nice.

"So, when did you first know that you were a wizard?" I asked, as we sat on a couch in front of the fire later that evening. We'd been reminiscing about the past and having a good time.

"I think I always knew because my parents prided the fact that they were wizards. And the fact that they were a rich pureblooded family." He replied, staring intently at the fire. "My parents just about died when they found out that I was in Gryffindor. I'm the first Black, like, ever to not be in Slytherin. That's part of the reason I'm always compared to my brother. He's like the perfect son."

"I found out when I was eight and I happened to turn the cat, that my foster parents had, bright pink with black polka dots. After that, the American Ministry was very kept a very careful watch on me." I said, laughing. "I remember this one time when I didn't like the color of my hair, so I changed it to bleach blonde."

"How'd you do that?" Sirius asked, amazed.

"Oh, I'm a metamorphagus." I said, like it was nothing.

"Really? My cousin, Tonks, is a metamorphagus. She's a third year. She can do some pretty wild stuff." He said, nodding. "Is that why your eyes change colors spastically?"

"Oh, no that's because I'm also a changer." I replied. "It means that my eyes change colors according to my moods and emotions. I can usually control it unless I'm feeling an emotion to the extreme or I'm just thinking about it."

"That's cool." He said.

"Yeah, it is." I said, smiling.

Alright, don't be fooled, Jules still sorta hates Sirius, she sill for while yet! please review!


	7. Valentine's Day Heartbreak

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything of Harry Potter, sadly, it belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling.**

**Chapter 7:**

Christmas was soon over and every one was back. Lily told me what had happened at her house- her sister had gotten engaged to some prick named Vernon Dursley- and I told her about Sirius and I having a conversation without killing each other. Sirius had actually been bearable to live with over the vacation, but as soon as his friends came back he was the same old Sirius again. Too bad.

"So, are you and Black past the whole killing each other thing, then?" Lily asked, as we sat in the common room the night before classes started again.

"I don't know." I sighed, shaking my head. "I hope so."

"Well, at least you guys are making progress!" Lily said, brightly. I smiled at her.

"Alright, projects are due today. Who would like to present first?" Professor McGonagall said, as we sat down in class. It was the end of January. "No volunteers? Very well, then, how about Miss Star and Mister Black."

I sighed as I walked up to the front of the class. I had given Sirius my notes so that he could at least be prepared. I guess I wasn't as heartless as I wanted to be. Besides, if he did poorly that meant he'd drag my grade down.

"Alright, well, we had to look up the ways to transfigure a book into a goblet, a rock into a bird cage, a bird into a mirror, and a chair into a dog." Sirius began, handing McGonagall my notes. "And, uh, we found 'em all."

"See, the way you do the book into the goblet is flicking the wrist like this and saying transfiguro booko." I continued, rescuing Sirius, and demonstrating the spell. "Actually they were all pretty much the same except for the incantation and sometimes a slight wand movement change. The only twist was that you had to have the wand movements just right or it won't work. "

"Very good, you two. We'll have you demonstrate the actual spell tomorrow." McGonagall said, looking impressed. "Okay, who's next?"

We got through everyone during class and I was just happy the project was over. Now, maybe I could relax some. Or at least get my mind onto some other class.

That night I went up to the Astronomy tower, with the book that Remus gave me for Christmas, and I sat on the roof reading. I looked up every so often at the night sky, wishing that I was someone else- anyone else. I didn't want to have my destiny all planned out for me, like some road map. I mean, I don't think anyone would. The fact was, I didn't even know the whole prophecy. Maybe my parents did and they wrote it down in their journals. I would have to go through those tomorrow night. I didn't want to be a chosen one, especially if that meant that everyone that I was close to got hurt. Not only were my parents dead because of me, I been to hell and back with all the foster homes I'd went to. If I wasn't being neglected, I was being beaten and told how worthless I was. I'd given up on actually believing that anyone would ever actually care about me. I mean, Lily was great and I loved her, but I didn't want her to get hurt, too. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to her…I soon fell asleep lost in my thoughts of how unfair life was.

"Hey, what are you doing up there?" A voice asked, waking me up. I opened my eyes groggily; it was still night. I looked down and saw the Marauders.

"Sleeping, what does it look like?" I replied, sitting up.

"You know, you could have fallen off and killed yourself." Sirius said, matter-of-factly.

"Ah, Black, I didn't know you cared so much." I said, in a fake honeyed voice. He smirked at me.

"I don't, Starr. I was merely stating that it would do the world a lot of good if you had." He shot back. I disregarded the comment.

"Well, I guess that's too bad for you." I said, looking down at him. "What are _you_ guys doing up here?" I asked.

"Stuff." James said. Typical guy response.

"Oh, well, that clears it all up." I said, sarcastically. "What time is it anyways?"

"Midnight."

"Okay, well, I'm going to bed now. Hope you guys get caught by Filch." I replied, jumping down lightly from the roof to the balcony, where they were standing. "'Night."

I walked back to the common room, wondering what they could possibly be doing up at the Astronomy tower at midnight. I shrugged and kept on walking. I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I wasn't watching were I was going and I bumped right into someone. I looked up and saw Snape. Oh great, just what I need.

"I told you we would meet again." He sneered. "And here we are."

"Get the fuck outta my way, I'm in no mood for you." I snapped, glaring at him.

"Tut, tut, you need to learn some nicer language." He said, mockingly. He reached out and tried to grab my arm. I pulled back instinctively.

"Don't you dare try to touch me, you grease ball." I said, evenly. Then I punched him and turned and ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower. I didn't breathe safely until I was in my bed.

The next day, I tried to avoid Snape at all costs. I didn't even want to look at his revolting face. I didn't even want to think about what he could do to me if I wasn't able to avoid myself. I also tried to keep my mind off of Sirius, but that didn't seem to be happening. I don't know why he always kept popping up in my mind. No matter what I just couldn't stop thinking about him. What was the matter with me?

"Hey, Jules, what's up? You look like your mad or something." Lily asked, as we walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking." I replied, absent-mindedly.

"You sure?" She asked, not convinced.

"Yeah." I said, putting a smile on my face. "Positive.

That evening was Qudditch practice. Derek did indeed run a tight team. We practiced plays and formations until they were perfect and as a result we hadn't lost a game yet. We were going into the final match before the Qudditch Cup finals and Derek was going insane because of it. We had morning practices, evening practices, and weekends were devoted to refining our team vibe. Sirius and I had managed to put our differences aside when playing and we maintained a professional, business like disposition during practices and games alike.

"C'mon, Jules, You shouldn't be dropping the Quaffle like that! What's the matter with you?" Derek yelled at me during one of the ungodly morning practices. It was only four-thirty, for gods sake!

"Maybe it's because I've been sleep deprived!" I said, although not loud enough for Derek to hear. James, however, heard and smiled slightly at my sarcastic outlook on the morning practices.

We ran the play again. I tried my best to wake up and catch the Quaffle, but it didn't work. If only Derek were a sane normal person, then I'd be in bed, still dreaming of not being up this early. But, no, here I was out in the cold frosty morning air, being chewed put by a crazed Qudditch captain.

"Jules, get it together! If you don't shape it up, then I just might have to replace you with a reserve!" He shouted. If anything that just pissed me off. I wasn't the only one who was half asleep out here- Mike, the fourth year chaser, was practically falling off his broom and the other beater, a fourth year girl named Sunny, kept hitting herself with her bat instead of bludgers. Yet, Derek still found some reason to single me out.

"Derek, I'm not the only one who's not playing up to par here! Why don't you just relax and realize that I'm doin the best I can considering I'm playing on three hours of sleep here." I snapped at him. He flew over to me, angry.

"I thought I told the _whole_ team that to be in bed by nine every night! What the hell were doing?" He asked, furiously.

"Some of us have loads of homework to do and the fact that I spend every waking moment down here I used the time that should've been spent sleeping catching up on my classes. Maybe if you lightened up just a bit I wouldn't be so behind!" I retorted.

"James and Sirius are in the same year as you and they seem to have no problem keeping up. Maybe you're just somehow totally fucked up! And I can't have this attitude, not if we're seriously going to win the cup this year!" He spat at me. I was taken aback by this response. As was everyone else on the team.

"Derek, man, relax, take a couple of deep breaths." James said, looking shocked.

"James, stay out of this! She needs to understand that what I say goes! I'm the captain of this team and you had better shape up!" He shouted in my face. "You had better give me some respect!"

"Hey, ya know what? You have to give respect to get it, dude!" I said. I couldn't believe he was acting like this! He had totally and completely snapped.

"Look, Jules, I don't really care about what you have to say. You're a player on this team and that means listening and following the rules that I lay down. This is my team and I won't have you mess it up just because you balance school and practice" He said, evenly, anger apparent in his voice. "If you don't like the way I do things, there's the ground and the exit."

"You know what, you're right." I said, and he looked pleased with himself for a moment. "I don't like the way you run this team. And all I have to say is good luck winning the cup with a reserve!"

With that I landed and walked off the Qudditch pitch. I didn't look back. Who the hell did Derek think he was? Did he honestly think that I was just going to take that lying down? I realize that I might've been a tad out of line, but he was too. I wasn't going to be pushed around by anyone- not anymore.

"Hey, why aren't you at practice?" Lily asked as I sat down next to her at breakfast a couple of hours later. I'd gone up and taken a long shower and then I just walked around aimlessly for a while.

"I quit." I replied, simply. Lily looked at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"WHAT?" She yelled. "Why?"

"'Cause Derek Hoppler's an ass-hole." I said. I explained what had happened.

"Jules, he's just under a lot of stress! C'mon, you don't really want to quit the team do you?" She said, after I was done. "I mean, yeah, he was wrong to yell at you, but that doesn't mean you had to quit."

"Lily, look, I wasn't about to let him walk all over me. I've let enough people do that to me through out my life, but not any more." I said.

"Alright, Jules, whatever you say." She said, throwing her hands up in defeat. "You know, you really are impossible."

"Thanks."

I went through my classes, ignoring all of the ridiculous rumors going around. I heard one going around about how I had threatened to curse everyone on the team and now I wasn't even allowed to go to the games. What a load of bullshit! I mean, honestly, how thick can people actually be? Anyways, I was in a pretty bad mood by the time I went down to dinner. James and Sirius came in somewhat late; a break for dinner and then back to the pitch, I assumed. They came over to where Lily and I were sitting and plopped down next to us.

"Jules, we need to talk to you." James said, he and Sirius both looking extremely harassed. I almost felt kinda bad for them. Almost.

"Okay, so talk." I said, shortly.

"You have to some back!" Sirius burst out. I looked at him surprised. "Look, Derek's sorry that he shouted at you this morning, but he's gonna gone on killing spree pretty soon if you don't come back!"

"Well, that's his problem." I replied, turning back to my dinner. "I'm not taking his shit anymore!"

"Please, Jules, just come back and talk to Derek. He's a lot saner than he was this morning. And he really wants you to come back."

"Funny, seeing as I was the only one he'd been singling out at practice." I said dryly.

"He was just venting some steam off and you happened to be the one he vented on." James said, while Sirius looked like he wanted to strangle me. "At least just think about it."

"Fine, I'll think about it." I said, and they looked somewhat relieved. "But I'll tell you this, I'm not playing in the match against Ravenclaw. You can just forget that." I added, and they looked me in horror.

"But you have to! We'll be smashed!" Sirius said, loudly, barely containing himself from lunging at me.

"Why won't play?" James asked, more calmly than Sirius.

"Let's just say I need to see that you guys actually need me before I can even consider coming back." I said, standing up. "Oh, and let Derek know that I'm disappointed that he couldn't come talk to me himself." I added, before walking away.

On Saturday when it was time for the match I walked down to the Qudditch pitch with the rest of the school. James was looking at me hopefully, as though I was going to play, and Sirius was throwing me death glares. I kept on walking and took a seat with Lily. The game started and it wasn't a pretty sight. My replacement was some second year that obviously had no idea what he was doing. All of his passes were intercepted and he dropped the Quaffle every time it was passed to him. Gryffindor won only because our seeker, Sam, caught the snitch early on in the game. Let's just say that any doubt I had about going back to the team were now gone. They would probably forfeit if I didn't go back. But there was no reason I couldn't mess with them a little bit more.

"Nice game guys." I said, walking into the locker room. They all looked up at me.

"Please, just come back!" The second year squealed, latching himself onto me. It took all the control I had not to laugh.

"Why would I come back when you guys obviously play much better without me." I said, innocently. They all looked at me incredulously.

"Please tell me you're joking." Derek said, looking as if I just signed his death wish.

"Yes, I'm joking. I'll come back." I said, with a smile. "I'm sorry about not being more cooperative." I added, seriously.

"And I'm sorry for acting like an insane captain." He replied. The rest of the team looked extremely relieved that I was coming back. And I was glad I was too. I was starting to get bored.

After that, things went back to normal. Derek and I got along and we were playing better than ever. We had a really good chance at the Qudditch cup. Nothing was gonna stop us!

"So, we are going to try a color changing charm today." Professor Flitwick said to us one day. "I will be pairing you up, so listen closely! Black and Pettigrew, Lupin and Evans, Potter and Starr, Johnson and Levi, Donaldson and Sierra, Wilson and Anderson."

I walked over to where James was sitting and we set to work. HE didn't really get how to do it and I was waiting to show him the correct way. But he kept on refusing, insisting that this time he would get it right. By the time I finally convinced him to let me take over, he'd set my hair on fire, made it disappear, and turned it into a bunch snakes like Medusa.

"I usually get the hang of this stuff pretty quickly." James said, frowning in confusion. "Sorry about your hair." He added, apologetically.

"It's okay," I replied, making the snakes disappear. "Let me show you how to do it."

"Okay, if you think you can." He said, doubtfully. I merely smiled an evil smile and proceeded with the charm.

"Couleur changer rose!" I said, waving my wand about uselessly. The charm still worked, though. James now had a mop of messy hot pink hair. "That color suits you, James."

"Very good, Miss Starr! Very good indeed!" Flitwick cried. I felt myself smile with satisfaction. Charms was one thing I could do without a problems.

"Ha, ha very funny." James said, looking at his new hair color darkly. "Now change it back."

"You take the fun outta everything." I said, playfully. "Reverso Couleur."

"Okay, now teach me how to do it." He said, crossing his arms. "Please?" He added as I glared at him.

"All you have to do it say the incantation right." I replied, putting my wand down.

"Cooler shanga rose!" He said, his accent atrociously British. I laughed at him- really laughed. I laughed so hard that I was crying and gasping for breath. It was just so funny to hear the French incantation said so wrongly! After a few minutes I was able to speak again.

"I'm sorry, James. That was just so funny!" I said, slowing my breathing down to a normal pace. "Okay, the incantation, which is French, is said like this: Cou-leur chan-ger rose!" I said, sounding it out for him.

"Coo-ler chan-ga rose!" He said, trying to imitate my accent and waving his wand. The ends of my hair turned a light faint pink. "Look, something happened!"

"Yeah, that was much better." I said, nodding. "But, you have to really nail the incantation and the wand movement has to be just so. Like this- Couleur changer vert!" I said, forgetting my wand and waving my hand out of habit. James' hair turned bright green this time.

"How'd you do that without a wand?" He asked, looking at himself in the mirror. Everyone else in the class had stopped what they were doing and were now looking at us.

"Um, well, actually I can do wandless magic." I muttered, looking at the floor.

"Then why do use a wand?' He pressed on, looking confused.

"'Cause it makes things easier." I replied. "At least at my old school it probably would have. People there didn't like anyone or anything that was too different."

"Oh, well, if you don't need a wand then don't use it. It doesn't really make a difference here, not to anyone who cares." James said, waving off my "weirdness" with his hand. I felt relieved, like I'd been proven wrong about him. I guess I had been.

The Qudditch Cup was the first Saturday in March and we had only a month to perfect some secret plays, as well as run the ones we usually used just to make sure that we were staying in shape. We still had the ungodly morning practices and evening practices that went till midnight, but we were tighter than ever. Derek had lightened up quite a bit and I cut him some slack. There was no doubt that we would definitely win the cup.

February brought with not only endless Qudditch practices, but Valentine's Day as well. Gag me please. I mean, the only reason Valentine's Day exists is so that the chocolate and flower companies can make a profit. Oh and to make all the people who have no one even more aware of that fact. I refer to Valentine's Day as Single's Awareness Day (SAD). Many people agree with me in this viewpoint.

On Valentine's Day owls flew in weighed down by the heavy packages of candy and flowers. All that could be heard in the Great Hall were girls squealing and all that could be seen were couples making out. At least until the teachers came and broke up their PDA's. Surprisingly though, I got a package. It was a single red rose and box of chocolates. With there was a note:

_Jules-_

_Roses are red, _

_Violets are blue,_

_Even the most beautiful creature_

_Couldn't hold a candle to you_

_If you want to know who this is, meet me in the Entrance Hall at 7:30 tonight._

"What's that?" Lily asked, looking over at me. I handed her the note, too shocked to say anything. Who would want to send me anything on Valentine's Day?

"Oh, well, I'm surprised that you don't have more like this." She said, when she was done reading it. I looked at her incredulously.

"What's that suppose mean?" I asked her.

"Oh, c'mon Jules. Don't tell me that you haven't seen the way that half of the guys here stare at you." She said, shaking her head.

"They do not!"

"Oh yes they do. Guys are always checking you out." She replied, trying to hide her smile. She wasn't doing a very good job.

"And, pray tell, why would they be checking me out?" I asked, skeptically.

"'Cause you're gorgeous, of course!" She said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You can't deny it."

Me, gorgeous? I think not. I mean I have a mess of waist length brown hair that never cooperates. My eyes, when not showing off my emotions, are a deep green that do sparkle, but they're not spectacular. I'm not the skinniest person in the world, but I'm not fat either. I'm thin in a healthy way, I'm kinda curvy, and I stand at about 5'8. But I'm not pretty. At least I don't think so. Lily obviously begged to differ.

"Lily, I am so not gorgeous! I'm just an average girl who loses her temper way too easily." I replied.

"Think what you want Jules, but the fact remains- Half the male population wouldn't mind a date with you." Lily said, holding her hands up.

"Whatever." I muttered.

"So are you going to meet this secret admirer?" She pressed on after a second.

"I don't know." I sighed. "I never had this problem at Polk. There I knew that everyone hated me."

"Well, I think you should. You never know, he might be really great." She continued, nudging me. I thought about this.

"You know what, Lily? I think I will go and meet this dude." I said, a smile forming on my lips.

I spent the rest of the day waiting for classes to be over. But, the day seemed to drag on. I kept wondering who this guy was and if I'd like him. I also wondered if it was a joke. I guess I would find out tonight.

"Stop fidgeting! You're getting on my nerves!" Lily said me, as we sat in History of Magic.

"I can't help it. I fidget all the time; I've never been able to sit still. And it's even worse when I'm nervous or excited and I'm both right now." I replied, as the bell finally rang.

"So, who do you think it is?" Lily asked.

"I don't know, but I hope I like him." I said, as we walked out of the classroom.

"Like who?" Came a voice from behind me. I turned and saw Sirius.

"None of you business." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, does someone have a secret admirer?" James asked, in fake interest. "Maybe he's staying a secret 'cause he doesn't want people knowing that he likes someone like you."

"Fuck off, Potter." I snapped, angrily.

"Why, James, how do you know that he even exists. I mean, who would be able to like something like that?" Sirius added, as he and James laughed. I spun around, surprising both of them.

"What the hell is your problem? Huh?" I yelled. I didn't care if I was making a scene, I was sick of all their shit. "What have I done to you? Why can't you guys just leave me alone and grow up? You are the biggest shit-heads I've ever met!" I stormed off, with Lily right behind me.

"Jules-" She began, but I cut her off.

"Just me away from them, Lily. 'Cause I might kill them if I'm anywhere near them in the next twenty four hours!" I said, and she just nodded. I didn't stop until I got to the Common Room.

I picked up a book and threw it across the room. Where did those two get off insulting me endlessly and making me feel even more insecure about myself than I already did? Just because they had sluts and whores throwing themselves at them didn't mean they had the god given right to go around like they were the kings of the world. Stupid ass holes.

"Jules, are you okay?" Lily asked, tentatively. I looked at her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I said, feeling my anger subside a little. "I just don't know why they have to be such pricks!"

"'Cause they're Potter and Black. If they acted any other way, no one would what to do." She replied, shrugging. I laughed.

"Lils, you always know how to make me feel better. That's what I love about you." I said, smiling. She smiled back.

At seven fifteen I left the Common Room. I made my way down to the Entrance Hall, my stomach in knots. I couldn't help but be extremely nervous about it. How was I suppose to act? What was I suppose to say? I thought about this all the way. When I got there all I saw was a rose taped to the banister with a note. It said:

_Follow the path of rose buds and there you'll find me_

I opened the doors and saw a path of rose buds leading towards the lake. I walked down there and as I got closer I saw a tall figure standing on a rock overlooking the lake. My stomach gave a lurch; something wasn't right, I could feel it. When I got close enough to see the figure up close, I saw that it wasn't a person, but a manican. I looked around for anyone trying to pull something. And then-

"AHHHHHHH!" I heard a voice yell. I lost my balance and I fell into the lake. When I came to the surface I saw two people doubled over in laughter. Even though I couldn't see them, I knew who it was by their laughter. It was Potter and Black.

**A/N:** well, how's that for a cliff hanger! I hope you guys are all enjoying this! I would just like to say thanks to all my reviewers- you guys are truly apprciated!


	8. Sweet Revenge and a Victory!

**DISCLAIEMR: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT WHAT YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE!**

A/N:hey, sorry it's been a while! This chapter took a while to write and I still don't think it's all that great- it's kinda a transition chapter. I'm sorry for the cliff hanger, but that's just so you guys will still read! I promise that if it isn't the next chapter, the chapter after that will be good! It'll be the summer and I already have some of it written out! I have like a lot of later scene written out too, butI can't out them in yet... but I do have a lot ideas of where it's gonna go, so bear with me! and thnx a buch to all of my reviewers! I love you guys more than I can say,honestly! okay, here's the chapter:

**Chapter 8:**

I swam to the shore and looked for Potter and Black. They were starting to run back towards the castle. Did they honestly think that they were going to get away that easily? After all the crap they'd pulled, I don't think so. I waved my hand, muttering an incantation and they stopped in their tracks.

"What the bloody hell?" I heard Sirius say. "James, why can't we move?"

"I don't know. It's like we're stuck." He replied. Oh, he was very good a stating the obvious, that one. They both struggled against the spell I'd put on them as I walked over to them in a furious calm.

"What made you think that I would just sit there and take something like that? Do you think that I honestly wasn't to retaliate?" I asked, and they both jumped in surprise hearing my voice.

"Um…" James said, clearly trying to think of some response to get them out this situation. Sirius was way ahead of him.

"Oh, c'mon Jules, you know we were just messing around. Take this spell off and we can show you things that you've never even dreamed of." He said, in a seductive tone. He_ was_ good at being seductive when he wanted to. Too bad he couldn't seduce me.

"How thick are you?" I asked, anger in my voice. "Not only did you lie to me Sirius, you and your pathetic side kick have been trying to humiliate me since I arrived. I'm not taking it anymore!"

"Look, we were just having a bit of fun, Jules." James said, sounding somewhat unsure. "There's no reason to blow this out of proportion."

"Let me tell you something Potter," I said to him. "People have been having 'just a bit of fun' at my expense for years now. And your bit of fun included my dignity and pride. It's about time I returned the favor."

"What are you going to do to us? Kill us? Torture us until we lose our minds?" Sirius asked, his voice filled with fear. This wasn't the response I'd been expecting. Did they think I would do something like that? I can lose my temper, but I'm no murderer.

"I should curse you into oblivion and leave you here to rot." I said, evenly. "But, I won't. You are worth it." I added, starting to walk back to the castle. I waved my hand again and they were standing there in nothing but their boxers. I smirked at them.

"Wait, we are you going? You can't just leave us here!" Sirius yelled after me. I turned to face him.

"Mr. Black, I think that you and Mr. Potter need a taste of your own medicine!" I said. "I'm warning you two- don't mess with me! I am not afraid to fight back!" I added. With that I turned and walked back to the castle, ignoring their shouts that came after me.

"Why are you all wet? And why are you back so early?" Lily asked, I walked into the dorm fifteen minutes later.

"I'm wet because I fell in the lake. I back early because the valentine turned out to one of Potter and Black's pranks." I replied, ringing out my hair over the sink in the bathroom.

"Oh, Jules, that's horrible!" She exclaimed. "Why do you look so happy about it?" She asked suspiciously.

"'Cause two can play at that game." I said, with a satisfied smile.

"Oh no, your eyes are purple…what did you do?" She asked, sounding somewhat amused, somewhat foreboding.

"Nothing too horrible." I replied, drying my hair with a wave of my hand. "They're just stuck outside, in their boxers, until I see fit to release them." I added, trying to hold back the huge smile that wanted to spread across my face.

"Jules, you didn't!" She said, incredulously, laughing.

"See for yourself." I said, laughing too, pointing out the window. James and Sirius could be seen, trying to move and get inside. It truly was a great sight.

The next morning I woke up to the laughter of the other girls I shared the dorm with. I rolled over and saw that they were crowded by one of the windows, looking at something outside. I smirked knowing what it was.

"Oh, look there, they're only in their boxers…" One of the girls was saying.

"Damn, that Sirius Black has one _nice_ body, don't he?" Another one said. I laughed to myself and got up to take a quick shower.

"So, when are you going to let those two go?" A voice from behind me asked. I turned and saw Remus.

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about, Remus." I said, innocently. He didn't buy it.

"Cut the act, Jules." He said, shortly. "I know what they were planning to do last night and by the looks of it, they went through with it. And now you've gotten them back, so could you please just let them go?"

"I haven't even begun to get them back." I replied. "They brought this upon themselves and I'm actually surprised that nobody's done anything before now."

"Why are being so difficult?" He asked, sighing. I looked at him.

"I'm being difficult? Remus, Potter and Black have been pulling crap on me since the beginning of the year and you're saying that I'm the one being difficult? I tried being patient and talking it out, but it didn't work and I'm not gonna let them make a damn fool out of me!" I exclaimed, indignantly. Remus took a step back from me.

"Okay, Jules, okay." He said, trying to calm me down.

I walked off into the Great Hall and sat down to eat. But after five minutes, I realized that I wasn't hungry- I'd lost my appetite. Damn Remus to hell, why did he have to make me feel so guilty? I walked outside to find Potter and Black just the way I'd left them- half-naked and looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Okay, I've got a deal for you two." I said, as I reached them.

"Will you let us go inside?" Sirius asked, his face red- I don't know if was from the cold weather or the catcalls he was getting.

"Just listen." I replied. "I will let you go, but know that this is not over. I will continue to torture you as I see fit until I think you've paid enough. And as that will probably never happen, I will probably be torturing you for the rest of your pathetic lives."

I waved my hand at them and started walking back to the castle. Potter and Black just stood there for a second and then both of them took a cautious step. After they realized that they could, in fact, move they made a break for the school. They whizzed past me, shivering in the frosty morning air. I chuckled to myself, watching them go. Sirius _did_ have a nice body…too bad he was such a jerk.

The Quidditch Cup Finals were finally upon us. Derek had us practicing at every spare moment of the day. We stood a very good chance and the extra practices did help. And when Saturday rolled around, all of us were confident that we were going to win. It was just the attitude that we needed.

"Alright, we're up against Slytherin and they've been getting better. They've changed the line up from big gorillas to actual talent. But that doesn't mean that we're not going to beat them. We still have the best team in the school and we're gonna show 'em how it's done!" Derek said, pumping us up. It worked. There nothing any of us wanted more than to kick the Slytherin's asses.

The game started and we were off. James, Mike, and I passed the Quaffle flawlessly. We scored five times before the Slytherins were even able to touch the ball. But, inevitably, they did get it. And they were almost as good as us. Their beaters took no mercy and just whacked the bludgers in the direction of us- whether we had the ball or not. I swear, one of them almost killed me.

"Watch it, bastard!" I yelled at him as I continued to fly down field. I caught the pass Mike threw and put it in the goal. The score was now 60-30 Gryffindor.

At one point, the two beaters came at me with their clubs raised and I had to turn upside down to avoid them. But that unfortunately made me slip off my broom so that I was holding on with my hands while the rest of my body dangled in the air. I tried to pull myself up, but my hands slipped in the broom and I nearly fell off. Sirius, being the closest one to me, flew over to help.

"Jules let go of your broom, I'll catch you." He said, some five feet below me.

"I swear if you don't, Sirius, I'll kill you!" I said, closing my eyes and letting go. A moment later I felt a pair of strong arms catch me. I opened my eyes and saw Sirius there, his cocky grin in place. "Thanks."

"Well, I do believe you owe me one." He said, flying up to where my broom was so I could get back on. I stood on his broom, balanced, and then jumped to mine, catching it with my hands and having enough momentum, twirling myself over to sit on it again. Sirius looked at me, impressed and slightly surprised.

"You wish Black." I replied, before flying off. I was given a penalty shot, which I put right into the goal.

After another three goals and a lot of close calls, Sam finally caught the snitch ending and winning the game. We'd won the cup! We'd beaten Slytherin, even after they'd tried to play dirty! Ha ha, in their faces!

There was a party up in the Common Room that night that went on well into the morning. Round about four everyone started to head up to bed. I wasn't tired, but I went up with others. I pulled my parents' journals out and began reading them. They detailed everything from the prophecy to how to effectively disguise yourself by muggle means. I really got an insight to what my parents did. They weren't only aurors; they did just about everything you could do as a muggle. They had both spent some time in the CIA, training and gaining experience that would help them in their line of work. Well, I guess I knew where I got it from.

As I finished skimming my father's journal, I flipped to the back cover. I ran my hand over it and I felt a weird groove. I pushed on it and a star shaped metal piece popped out. It was really weird, like a missing piece to some puzzle. I had a feeling that it was important, so I put it into my pocket- I was never going to let it out of my sight. I wondered what it went to…and then it hit me. On my father's grave there was a star engraved into the tombstone. The same exact size as this one! Maybe that was where it fit! It was a long shot, but I would have to find out for myself. But when? Over the summer I would go back to LA. I mean, I had no where else to go it was more than likely that I would just go back to the orphanage there. But whatever this piece led to, I was going to find out. For all I knew it could be something that could help me; something that my parents were keeping for me.

short, I know, but there's a bit foreshadowing, so I hope you're paying attetion. I'll update as soon as I can! I hope you guys liked it! Review please!


	9. Tutoring

**Sirius' Jewel**

**A/N:** okay, I am sooooooooo sorry for not updating sooner, but I got grounded for grades…so anyways I'm changing a few things, but I think you guys will like it. I've had some less than pleasant reviewers lately, and I would just like to say that criticizing and telling someone their story is crap is not a good thing. If you don't like the story no one's making you read it and may I just state for the record that in the books, JK Rowling says that Peter ISN'T good looking, so get off my case about it already those of you who don't like it. And I would just like to give a BIG, GREAT, GIGANTIC thank you to those of you who have been reviewing…I do accept constructive criticism. Anyways, thanks for reviewing and I'll stop talking now so that you can read the next chapter.

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**Chapter 9**:

Okay, so, I'll admit it- I'm not that great at magic. Except charms, but that's beside the point. I have no trouble understanding the theory of it all; I just can't seem to get the practical part of it. I'd been able to fake it pretty well so far, but I knew eventually that someone would find out.

"Miss Starr, you've had this whole period to transfigure your rat into a goblet. You've made no progress." Professor McGonagall said, standing in front of my desk. "Can you tell me why?"

"Um…" I said, looking down at my desk. I didn't know what to say; I didn't want to admit that I was bad at magic.

"This has been becoming a regular occurrence, Miss Starr." She sighed, shaking her head. "And not only in here, but in also in several of your other classes as well. So, I'm afraid I'll have to assign you a tutor until you've improved. Stay after class and I'll tell you who will be tutoring you."

A tutor? Well, I had had one back at Polk and that did make things a whole lot easier. Maybe it would make it easier here too. So, I just sighed, slumped down in my seat, and stared hopelessly at my rat for the rest of class.

"Alright, you seem to be doing okay in Charms, History of Magic, and Herbology. But in Potions, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts you're struggling. So, the top student from each of those classes will be your tutors." She said, as I walked up to her desk after the bell rang.

"And that would be who?" I asked.

"Mr. Potter for Transfiguration, Mr. Black for DADA, and Mr. Snape for Potions." She replied. Well, great, my least three least favorite people.

"Are you sure there's nobody else who can tutor me?" I asked, pleadingly. "Like Lily Evans?"

"Miss Evans is busy with Prefect duty most of the week and these three _are_ the top the classes." She replied, shaking her head. "And you are on academic probation until further notice, which means no more Hogsmead trips and early curfew unless you're with a tutor."

"But Professor-" I started.

"Miss Starr, this is my final decision. You will meet with each of your tutors two nights a week, starting tomorrow with Mr. Snape. I will let them know and you can work out a schedule. Understood?" She said, firmly.

"Yes, ma'am." I said.

I spent the next day dreading the tutoring session with Snape. I mean, I hadn't said two words to Snape since that first night on the train.

"You're late." He said, coldly as I walked into the classroom.

"Look, you don't want to be here and I don't want to be here, so let's just get this over with. Okay?" I shot back dropping into the seat across from him.

"Fine, let's get started." He said, with a slight sneer.

For the next two hours I struggled to get the measurements right while Snape barked orders and snapped at me. By the time the session was over I never wanted to look at a potions ingredient again.

"Well, I guess you made some kind of progress tonight." Hr said, with a sigh, packing the ingredients up. "At least the potion was somewhat close to what it was suppose to be."

"Well, isn't that a relief?" I said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in my voice. "Look, let's meet back here, on Thursday same time." I added, turning away from him.

"It was really nothing personal, you know." He said, as I went to open the door. "On the train, what happened had nothing to do with you."

"Really? So, you just randomly picked someone to feel up?" I asked, acidly, spinning around.

"Look, I happened to have lost a bet to Malfoy and I had to do whatever he said." He replied, still packing ingredients away. "And that was to make a move on the first girl I saw along the train. It just happened to be you. I just thought you know that it wasn't anything personal."

"Oh." I said, quietly, looking at the floor. "Well, thanks for telling me."

"Yeah, whatever." He said, with a shrug. " I'll see you on Thursday. Maybe you will be able to do the potion right." He added, with a slight sneer. I just rolled my eyes and walked out of the room.

Did Snape just do something decent? This was mind-blowing! Maybe I'd been wrong about him.

The next night I had to meet with James for Transfiguration. He walked into the classroom in his usual arrogance.

"So, you need help with Transfiguration." He said, cockiness quite apparent in his voice.

"Look, Potter, just help me with this so we can get it over with." I said, icily.

"Oh, a little touchy, huh?" He said, rolling his eyes.

McGonagall wasn't kidding when she said James was the best Transfiguration student. He was _brilliant_. Which made me feel even stupider when I couldn't do simple spells.

"I have a question." He said, after an about an hour. "How were you able to do that Transfiguration project- on your own- when you can't even do quite a few of these simpler spells?"

"Well, it was a _lot_ of hard work." I replied, not looking at him. "I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to them."

"That's really weird." He said, shaking his head. "I mean, you can do complex spells, but you can't so the basics."

"It's not that I don't know how," I said, getting a little defensive. "I understand the theory and everything. It's just that I can't control my magic that well. So, I have to work three times as hard to do the simple spells and it's damn near impossible to get the complex ones down. And the one I can't do are the ones I haven't practiced yet."

"Okay, settle down. I was just wondering." He said, holding his hands up. "But if struggle with magic, how come you have no trouble with Charms?"

"That's 'cause it's my favorite subject." I said, with a shrug. "My old school put a _lot_ of emphasis on Charms, which was of the reason I was the top witch of my class there."

"But how did get through the other classes? I mean, sure, you could've practiced by yourself, but you had to have had some help." He said, confused.

"Oh, I did. I met with a tutor every other day to work on my magic." I said. "That's why I've been struggling so much this year."

The rest of the session went by fairly quickly. Now all I had to look forward to was the session with Sirius.

Sirius was late- as usual- and I was surprised he showed up at all. I'd already started practicing hexes and curses so that I wouldn't get in trouble. It didn't really work, considering it was only me.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." He said, running into the room. "Remus got sick again and I had to help him." He added and I wasn't sure whether or not he was telling the truth.

"At least you showed up." I said, with a shrug.

"Okay, so let's start with what you know how to do." He said, pulling out his wand. "What are the most advanced hexes you can do?"

"I can do the Jelly Slug hex- where you turn into half a slug and you arms become like jelly." I said, thinking.

"That's pretty advanced," He said, sounding impressed. "That's, like, end of sixth year stuff. What do you need tutoring for?" He added, frowning. _Here we go_, I thought.

"'Cause I can't do a simple stunning spell. In fact, I can't do a lot of the basics." I replied, looking at the floor.

"How can a pretty, smart witch like you not be able to do the basics?" He asked.

"My magic just works in a different way than everyone else's. It's kinda uncontrollable." I said, defensively. "And looks have nothing to do with it. I'm not pretty."

"You really are, you know." He said, quietly after a moment. "I mean, half the guys here wouldn't mind a date with you."

"Yeah, right." I replied, skeptically.

"It's true." He said, with a shrug. "You turn more heads than you think."

"Not if they knew what I really looked likes." I mumbled under my breath. But Sirius heard me.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He asked, curiously.

"As if I would show you, Black." I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Oh, c'mon, show me." He pleaded. God, he could really whine when he wanted to.

"Haven't you ever heard that curiosity killed that cat?" I asked, somewhat irritably.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not cat, then." He replied with a grin. I rolled my eyes.

"Let's just get started, shall we?"

And so it went. Classes during the day, tutoring in the evenings. Late nights doing homework and early mornings because I couldn't sleep. Although, I had to admit that since I'd begun tutoring I was doing better. And I noticed James and Sirius were much more tolerable when they weren't around each other. Even Snape was somewhat nicer when he wasn't around the Slytherins.

Out of the three, though, I found that I could talk to Sirius the easiest. It was weird, but he was a different person when it was just him. We talked about everything from school to families. His parents didn't care much for him either, so he could sort of relate to me. He was funny, sweet, and charming. Not charming like he was trying to get into my pants; charming in a way that made him attractive. Very attractive, in fact.

But outside of tutoring, he was cocky, arrogant, and a prick. The Sirius everyone knew and loved. Even so, I found my mind wandering to him and the next session with him. It wasn't until O.W.L.s were a week away that I realized that I'd fallen for him. The very thing I'd never wanted to do- but at the same time I was happy I had. I'd seen a side of Sirius that he kept hidden. And that made me feel kind of special.

**A/N: **okay, so I hope you guys liked it. please review! Thank you.


	10. Dueling and Summer Plans

**Sirius' Jewel**

**A/N:** okay, here's the next chapter! Just wondering, do you guys want me to finish out Hogwarts and then make a sequel or just keep it as one big story? Please, PLEASE, review and let me know. Anyways, here it is…

Oh and I think we've establish that I own none of the wonderful characters in this story except Jules, so yea, here it is….

**Chapter 10:**

"Okay, so let's see what we can do tonight." Sirius said. It was our last session before O.W.L.s and I was coming along pretty good, if I do say so myself.

"Hexes or dueling?" I asked, pulling out my wand.

"Hm, let's try a duel. We haven't done that yet." He replied, with a nod. "And don't worry, I'll go easy on you." He added, giving me a sly smile.

"Oh, will you now? Well, we'll just see who needs to go easy on who." I said, raising my eyebrows at him. I conveniently "forgot" to tell that where my hexing and curses sucked ass my dueling and fighting skills were near perfection. I was gymnast; I always had been. I might not be to cast the complicated spells, but I could dodge them and kick ass.

We faced each other and bowed. Then, with our wands at the ready, he started. He tried to disarm me and I block him. I sent a curse his way and he countered it. He got me with the Impedimenta curse, though. I moved slower than a snail and he took that opportunity to disarm me.

"Ha! Looks I've got you now, doesn't it?" He said, grinning at me. The curse was starting to wear off and I was moving quicker.

Sirius stood at the ready, and we started the duel again. The object now was to get my wand back. I could do some wandless stuff, but not much yet. So, I resorted to my gymnastics and fighting skills. He sent a hex my way and I back flipped out of the way. Sirius was thrown off for a second, but it was just long enough for me to cart wheel around him and grab my wand. He recovered, but I got into a full body bind and that was that.

"Where did you learn those moves?" He asked, when I let him out the body bind.

"Well, I've been a gymnast since I can remember and I refined those skills through the dueling classes at my old school." I said, as he stood up. "Those classes focused more on the fight aspect of dueling than the curses and stuff because we already had a class that dealt with that."

"That's really cool. Well, I think you're ready for the exams." He said, with a smile. "So, we'll cut it short tonight to celebrate with everyone else."

O.W.L.s week came and went. They weren't as hard as I expected and I didn't think I did too shabby. But now that they were over there were only a few days of school left in the year. I had nowhere to go except the Leaky Cauldron or a foster home.

"Miss Starr, Professor Dumbledoor would like to speak to you." McGonagall said, walking into the common room one evening.

"Okay," I said, standing up from where I was sitting with Lily and following her. We went to a stone gargoyle and when McGonagall gave the password, it jumped aside revealing a winding staircase that was like an escalator. I went up alone and knocked on the door when I got to the top.

"Come in." Dumbledoor's voice called from the other side. I opened the door and stepped inside. "Ah, Jules, please have a seat."

"Am I in some sort of trouble?" I asked, sitting down.

"No, no, of course not." He said, laughing. "I merely wanted to talk to you about next year."

"What about next year, sir?" I asked, confused.

"Will you be coming back to Hogwarts?" He asked, folding his hands in front of him.

"I would like to, yes." I said, nodding. "I mean, if that's okay with you, of course." I added quickly.

"That would be great." Dumbledoor said, smiling. "Now where will you be staying this summer?"

"Um, well, I'm not really sure." I said, with a shrug. I assumed I'd either go to a foster home or back to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Well, I have lined up a host family to take you for the summer. That is, if you're interested." He said.

"Who?" I asked, curious.

"The Potters." He replied. "You don't have to go with them, but you should think about it." He added. If I did accept this, that meant a whole summer with James, and, inevitably, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. I mean, James was okay and all, but we weren't nearly as close as Sirius and I were. We were still kind of hostile towards each other. I wouldn't mind Remus at all, he was a cool guy and Sirius…well, I couldn't let Sirius know that I liked him; I just couldn't. So, I would be myself towards him. Peter was, well, Peter. And that was to say that he was the tag along, so there wasn't much I could do about him. If I didn't go, though, it was more than likely that I would be placed in a foster home and I didn't want to go through that again.

"I'll go with the Potters." I said. "But could I ask a favor, sir?"

"Certainly." He said, with a slight nod.

"Could I take two weeks to go back to LA?" I asked. I figured I was going to have to ask him either way, so I might as well do it now.

"Ah, yes, I knew this would come up." He said, smiling. "Yes, you may have the two weeks on two conditions: first, you must not go until July and second you must take someone with you."

"Alright," I said, somewhat confused. "But why July?"

"Simply because I think that is the best month for vacations." He replied, his eyes twinkling. "I think that's everything, then. Have a good summer, Jules."

"You too, Professor." I replied, standing up.

"So, Lily, I was wondering if you wanted to come back to the States with me in July." I said, as we looked for an empty compartment.

"Oh, I would love to, but July is always when my family goes on holiday." She said, apologetically. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I said, shrugging. "Where you guys going?"

"The Caribbean. My dad heard that there one thousand things to down there, so of course he wants to go." She replied.

"Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, as lone as I don't have to be around my sister, Petunia, too much." She said, nodding. "She'll drive all the good-looking guys away."

"Oh, well, you'll always have James Potter after you and he'll drive _all_ the guys away." I said, as we sat down in a compartment.

"True, but _you_ have to spend the entire summer with him and his friends." She said, with an evil smirk. I hadn't told her very much about my tutoring sessions- at least not about the ones with Sirius.

"Yeah, well, they really aren't as bad as they seem. I mean, yeah, James is still an arrogant jerk, but he has a certain charm to him." I said, with a shrug.

"I think you've been spending too much time around them due to tutoring." She said, laughing.

"You're probably right." I said, laughing too.

We passed the rest of the journey to King's Cross laughing and joking. I wished that the train ride would never end, but instead it ended much too quickly. I wasn't overly excited to be staying with James, but I guess it could've been worse.

Lily and I walked through the barrier together. She saw her parents and we walked over to them. Lily looked just like her mother- vibrant auburn hair and bright green eyes. Her mom was the motherly sort of person, too. Her dad seemed like the kind of guy who, if you crossed him, would make you pay. But around family and friends he was very kind and personable. After introductions were made, I hugged Lily good-bye and went to look for James and his family. I saw him standing a little ways away from Lily's family, along with Remus and Sirius.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" I asked, approaching them.

"Yes?" Mrs. Potter said, giving me a warm smile. "Oh, you must be Julia."

"Yes, but call me Jules." I replied, returning her smile.

"What's going on?" James asked, looking from me to his parents.

"Oh, well, Dumbledoor owled us wondering if we would be willing to play the part of a host family." She said, cheerfully. "And we said we'd be delighted to."

"So, she's staying with us all summer?" James said, not looking all too thrilled about this.

"Yes, she is." Mr. Potter said firmly, and James looked down at the ground.

"Well, actually the first two weeks in July I'm going back to LA." I said, with a shrug.

"How about we get going." Mrs. Potter said, trying to cover the awkwardness of the situation. "We still have to drop Sirius and Remus off."

So, we set off from King's Cross. James, Remus, Sirius, and I all squished into the back seat. Guess who I got to sit by? Sirius. I was torn between disgust and bliss.

Remus lived in a suburb just outside of London, in a quiet secluded neighborhood. His house was a decent size- not huge, but not a trailer either. I saw his parents looking out of the window in the front room. Remus sighed before bidding us good-bye. The expression on his face was one of sadness. His parents didn't look to thrilled to see him.

Next we dropped off Sirius. He lived in a gloomy part of central London. As Mr. Potter pulled up, Sirius looked very reluctant to have to leave. He took his time getting out of the car and getting his things. James got out with Sirius. He said something and Sirius nodded. They gave each other a swift hug and then James got back in the car, while Sirius walked slowly- and grudgingly- up to his house.

okay, i hope you guys liked it! and now please review!


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